SERDANG, Feb 27 - The University Islamic Centre of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) organised a seminar entitled The Wasatiyyah Approach: Application, Practice and Challenges as a platform to share awareness and moderation of the wasatiyyah approach in Islam with the community.

The seminar, organised in collaboration with UPM Registrar’s Office and Malaysian Wasatiyyah Institute (IWM), Prime Minister's Department, was held for two days at the Experimental Theatre, UPM.

UPM Registrar, Dato’ Wan Azman Wan Omar said that those who can appreciate the concept of courtesy or ihsan have braced the wasatiyyah agenda.

"The concept of ihsan or goodwill which was introduced in UPM in 2016 is now a theme to be appreciated by the campus residents. UPM plays an important role in highlighting this wasatiyyah approach through knowledge and academic discourse as it is able to bring a positive impact to the community," he said.

Religious Advisor to the Prime Minister, Tan Sri Dr. Abdullah Md Zin said at the opening of the seminar that appreciation of wasatiyyah requires a process of application in the real life.

"Therefore, the concept of wasatiyyah requires a person who calls upon and invites fellow humans to goodness, so that it can benefit the society. The concept of wasatiyyah needs to be further enhanced in various areas such as the development of human capital, education, politics, economy, socio-culture, Islamic banking and finance system, waqf institution, zakat and others. Hence, intellectuals and academicians are needed to carry out research and write materials on it to be used as reading materials and reference by the community," he said.

A total of 350 participants from public universities, staff and students of UPM and the public attended the seminar.

Tan Sri Dr. Abdullah bin Md Zin was the first session speaker with his talk entitled ‘Wasatiyyah as a Country Policy’. UPM lecturer, Dr. Mohd Sukki Othman, spoke on ‘Wasatiyyah in the Quran and al-sunnah’; Chief of Assistant Director of the Royal Malaysia Police Special Branch Counter-Terrorism Division, Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, spoke on ‘Wasatiyyah in Contesting the Challenges of Extremism’, and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) lecturer, Prof. Datuk Dr. Teo Kok Seong and Prof. Dr. Zaid Ahmad, a lecturer from the Faculty of Human Ecology, moderated two Wasatiyyah Panel Forums entitled ‘Wasatiyyah Approach in Relations between Races and Religions in Malaysia’.

Also present were Director of the Malaysian Wasatiyyah Institute, Prime Minister's Department, Dato’ Mohd Yusof Din and the Director of the University Islamic Centre, UPM, Mat Razi Abdullah. - UPM